ScanGauge Automotive Computer

Quick Overview

ScanGauge Automotive Computer provides realtime feedback while simultaneously tracking three sets of trip data. The Digital Gauges give you realtime data for your vehicle and the built-in Scan Tool allows you to read trouble codes and diagnose potentially expensive problems before they get out of hand.

Do you
wish your car displayed things like; MPG, max speed, average speed,
and distance to empty? With a ScanGauge all of these measurements are available
in real time along with many other features and statistics. The
ScanGauge also allows you to view and reset error/trouble codes that
cause the check engine light to come on. For easy operation the
ScanGauge has a large screen, backlight, custom backlight colors, making
it
virtually fully customizable. The gauge is a great addition to any
vehicle, and will work on any 1996+ OBDII car.

Fits
virtually anywhere

Easy
to use and install

Connects in seconds

Plug-and-play device

Trip FeaturesThe
ScanGauge automatically tracks and stores data from 4 individual
trips. The trip mode within the ScanGauge is most useful for improving
fuel economy, and saving you money. The ScanGauge lets you try
different driving techniques and routes and gives quick feedback on how
they affect fuel consumption. The trip feature keeps track of most of
the features noted above and also includes:

Digital Gauge FeaturesThe ScanGauge is able
to display up to 4 of a possible 12 gauges at one time. The gauges can
easily be customized to display what you would like to see on your
ScanGauge. All the optional display gauges are displayed in real time.

Be the first to write a review.

If I purchase a new ScanGauge
does it include the Add-A-Gauge and XGauge software?

Yes, any newly purchased ScanGauge will
include the latest version of software including Add-A-Gauge and XGauge.

Will the ScanGauge II work on my
vehicle that was purchased outside of the US and Canada?

The ScanGauge requires the vehicle to be
either OBDII or EOBD compatible. In the US and Canada, cars and light
trucks were required to be OBDII compatible starting in 1996. In Europe,
EOBD was phased in between 2002 and 2004. Other parts of the world have
required one of them starting in various years.

Many vehicles made and/or sold outside
the US and Canada had one of the protocols before they were required in
that country. This was to allow sales to other countries and because
they knew they would eventually be required to meet the requirements and
designed it in when they redesigned a particular model.

There is no comprehensive list of when
particular vehicles began using OBDII or EOBD outside the US and Canada.

Will the ScanGauge II be able to
clear my
trouble codes and turn off my "Check Engine" light?The ScanGauge II will clear the codes and turn off the check
engine light on 99% of 1996 and newer vehicles. It has been reported
that it can not do this on some trouble codes in the Dodge vehicles.

How can the ScanGauge II do all
of these
things with only a single connection to the vehicle?
ANSWER: Since 1996, all cars and light trucks sold in the US have been
required by law to have an On-Board-Diagnostic version 2 (OBD2 or OBD
II) connector inside the passenger compartment. It is required to
provide diagnostic information and allow resetting of the CHECK ENGINE
light. It also provides a lot of other operating information. The
ScanGauge II performs the diagnostics functions like a conventional scan
tool. It also goes beyond this and uses the other data to add many more
useful functions.

Do I need to know what Protocol
my car uses?
No. The ScanGauge II automatically determines which protocol your
vehicle uses and switches to it.

Can I use the ScanGauge II on
more than one car.
Yes. There are no restrictions on moving it from car to car.

Can my 1995 Ford Mustang use it?
Maybe. Some 1995 and even some 1994 vehicles are OBD2 (sometimes shown
as OBD II) compliant. Look at the emissions stickers under the hood. If
you find one that says OBD2 or OBD II, you should be able to use the
ScanGauge II.

Can I use the ScanGauge II to
tell how fast and how far my teenager drove the car last night?
Yes. This information is stored in the trip computer and it can be
recalled by you for up to a day after he used it.

What if my child disconnects the
ScanGauge II while they are using the car.
If the ScanGauge II was disconnected during the trip, a disconnect
indicator will be displayed in the trip data.

My speedometer only goes to
90MPH. Can the ScanGauge II show speeds above this?
Yes, the ScanGauge II can show speeds up to 158MPH.

Can I tell how high the coolant
temperature has been getting on my wifes car?
Yes. The maximum coolant temperature is stored by the trip computer and
can be read back by you later.

Can I use the ScanGauge II to
save fuel?
If your car reports information on fuel consumption (99% of cars and
light trucks do), and you use it to adjust your driving habits, you can
save a lot of fuel.

Do I have to reset the trip
computers for each trip?
No. The CURRENT trip can be reset manually if you desire. It is
automatically reset after the ignition has been off for more than a few
minutes. The DAY trip will accumulate the entire days trip information
and reset itself after the ignition has been off for more than 8 to
9 hours. The DAY information is moved to PREVIOUS before it is
automatically reset.

The MPG gauge reading changes
very quickly with slight changes in throttle or load. Can I smooth this
out to better determine the affect of speed on fuel economy?
Yes, use the TRIP MPG function in the CURRENT mode. After reaching the
desired speed, reset the TRIP. The average MPG since it was reset will
be reported.

The ScanGauge II shows a trouble
code of E0468. How do I figure out what this means?
There are many sources to decode this. A search of the internet for
Trouble Codes for your particular vehicle is a great way to get them.
Print them out and keep them in the car for future reference. You can
also find them in the vehicle shop manual and after-market service and
emissions manuals.

What is FRZD in the ScanGauge
II?
When a trouble code is set, the data at that time (RPM, Coolant
Temperature, Speed, Throttle Position, etc.) are captured like in a
freeze frame. FRZD can be used to recall this data to help diagnose the
problem.

What are the dimensions of the
ScanGauge II?
The ScanGauge II is 4.8"Wide, 1.5"High and 1.0"Deep.

Can I purchase an extra cable to
use in another vehicle?You can purchase an extra cable with your ScanGauge II or a
single cable at our Purchase
Page

Does the ScanGauge II support
metric units?Yes, the units of measure can be independently selected between
Miles/Km, Gallons/Liters, Celcius/Fahrenheit, and PSI/KPA.
If you choose Km and Liters, fuel economy is reported as liters/100Km (LHK).
If you use Imperial Gallons when you do the calibration, fuel will then
be adjusted to use Imperial Gallons.

What does the Cutoff function
do?Some vehicles will turn the fuel injectors off when coasting
down. We sense this with the open/closed loop indicator and the throttle
position. We have to know if the throttle is opened or closed but the
minimum value for it is rarely 0. The Cutoff is the value the throttle
has to be below in order to indicate a fuel cutoff and show 0 fuel flow.

The default is right for most vehicles, but it can be adjusted for
different situations. If set to "0" it disables this method of fuel
cutoff sensing.

How do I find the plug to
connect the ScanGauge II?
The OBD2 connector is supposed to be located within 1 meter of the
steering column. It is usually under the dash and just to the right or
left of the steering column. Sometimes it will have a cover over its
face. Other locations are under the dash on the passenger side under the
dash, behind the ash tray and in a rare case, under the ash tray in the
back seat armrest. The pictures below show the OBD2 plug in a typical
location.

In addition to
the standard gauges available it is now possible to add up to 25 additional
gauges to the 12 that are currently available to most vehicles. The available
features include:

Trip value
as an X-gauge

Displaying
horsepower as an instantaneous reading

Vehicle
specific information

Trip Value as an
X-gauge
You can take any of the trip values and have them displayed as a gauge.

This
allows you to monitor trip functions along with other gauge functions.

To
start, from the HOME screen use MORE>MORE>MORE>XGAUGE

Then
in the top right select the number of the XGauge memory you want to use (0
to 24)

Press
EDIT,
In the TXD screen, the first character
determines which trip function will be displayed. The second character
determines which trip to use.

After
you have made your choice press OK>

On
the RXF screen that will come up next make the
first character an 8, this tells the ScanGauge
that the gauge you are creating is to be used as a trip gauge. All values
after the 8 are ignored.

Now
press OK> until you reach the name screen and
enter a name. For example, TDT for Time Driven
Today

Lastly press SAVE.

Now you
can select your new gauge just like any other one. From the home screen, press
GAUGE press the button next to the gauge you want to
use for the XGauge. Keep pressing as needed until your newly created XGauge name
appears.

Displaying HorsepowerYou can have Horsepower read
out on your ScanGauge as you drive.

To start,
from the HOME screen use MORE>MORE>MORE>XGAUGE

Then in the
top right select the number of the XGauge memory you want to use (0 to 24)

Next
<EDIT this
will take you to the TXD screen

Using the
buttons next to + and -
after each character the -> in the top right
will move to the next character space.

Enter
00 into
the TXD screen and press OK>
You
will be taken to RXF

Enter
400080000000 and press OK>
you will be take to RXD

Enter
0000 and press OK>
you will be taken to MTH (math)

Enter
000A00170000 and press OK>
you will be taken to NAME

You can
enter whatever name you would like up to 3 characters, when you are finished
press OK>

Then in the
top right select the number of the XGauge memory you want to use (0 to 24)

Next
<EDIT this
will take you to the TXD screen

Using the
commands link at the top of this page find your car and enter the values
shown in the TXD, RXF,
RXD, MTH, and
NAME portion of the page

When
entering values, the buttons on the left are +
and - to change characters up and down, on the
top right is -> to move to the next space, and
OK>

The NAME
does not have to be the one provided on the spreadsheet, those are only
suggestions

Lastly
press SAVE

By Ken Payne @ Ford-Trucks.com

With today’s gas prices its more
important than ever to have the best fuel economy possible while driving your
Ford
truck or
suv. There are many products available which claim to increase economy but
it’s difficult to gauge just how much they help. ModBargains.com sells the
Scangauge II at a great price and this device will help you know how much a
modification helps, and will also help to determine how changes in your driving
habits impact fuel economy. I purchased 2 of the units – one for my truck and
one for my wife’s minivan. If you choose you can purchase additional cables and
use the Scangauge II in multiple vehicles, but I opted for 2 of them because I
didn’t want to have to reprogram engine size and tank size each time I moved it
to another vehicle.

In addition to this, the Scangauge
II product lets you track fuel costs and fuel usage, the ability to view 4
virtual gauges at once and read/clear OBDII diagnostic codes. It’s a universal
device and works with most OBDII and CAN compatible vehicles. This includes all
1996 and newer light duty Ford
trucks and
suvs, 1994 and newer 7.3L, 6.0L and 6.4L Powerstroke diesels, and 1999 and
newer gas powered Ford Super Duty trucks and Excursion.

Installation is easy. Simply plug
the device into the OBDII connector located under the driver’s side dash panel
and then mount the gauge in a handy location. Do not locate it on or near
air-bag surfaces! The Scangauge II is light and comes with a Velcro mount so you
can mount it just about anywhere (the “Blendmount”, also available from
ModBargains.com, allows you to permanently mount it above the rear view mirror).
For my tests article I didn’t mount it but instead I had someone hold it and
take photos while I drove. My plans are to fabricate a custom mount in my
ashtray area in the near future.

Once plugged in you set it up by
turning on the ignition, entering your engine size, fuel tank size, fuel type
and units of measure such as gallons or liters. That’s it!

The main screen offers 4
selections:

• Scan – This option displays any OBDII and CAN diagnostic codes. If no codes are present it will give a READY reading which means the vehicle should currently pass emissions testing. If any codes are present it will display them and give you the option to clear them.

• Gauge – Selecting this option displays 4 gauges on the screen. Using the buttons next to each gauge changes the currently displayed gauge for that position. Here are the standard gauges available:
Open/closed loop, cost per mile, intake air temperature, coolant temperature, fuel pressure, gallons/liters per hour, ignition timing advance/retard, engine load, miles per gallon (or other units of measure), miles/kilometers per hour, manifold absolute pressure, RPM, throttle position setting and battery voltage. Additionally, the Scangauge II has the XGauge feature which allows programming of custom gauges for specific vehicles. One popular XGauge setup is the horsepower gauge and ModBargains.com includes detailed instructions on their web site for setting up this gauge on Fords.

• Trip – This is by far one of the best features of the Scangauge II. It displays information about the current trip, combined trips for today and combined trips for the previous day. Each of these trip information screens can display maximum speed, maximum coolant temperature, maximum RPMs, average speed, fuel economy, miles driven, elapsed time, fuel used, fuel cost. There is also a “tank trip” which shows information since the last fill-up including fuel used since last fill-up, fuel remaining in the tank, distance driven, distance remaining, time driving, time remaining and miles per gallon.

• More – This option leads you to sub-options such as Setup, Display (you can change the screen color to any one of 64 colors), Fillup and another More option. The fillup option screen allows you to enter data about the current fillup of the fuel tank. The Scangauge II automatically uses tank data to correct for any minor errors in mileage data. The more you use the Scanguage II the more accurate it becomes. My testing revealed that for my truck the “out of the box” mileage readings were very accurate (within ½ mpg) and that’s with a custom tune on a supercharged 5.4L V8. The More option lets you program custom gauges and other options.

One of the options recommended is
to adjust the mileage reading using a GPS unit or highway mile markers. This
helps the unit correct for any errors in the factory odometer (most are slightly
off) and allows the Scangauge II to display more accurate information about fuel
economy.

Using The
Scangauge II To Increase Fuel Economy

This is where it gets interesting.
For this test I ran the truck like I normally do for a day with the Scangauge II
hidden from view so it wouldn’t impact my driving habits. I averaged about 7.1
mpg city and 13.5 mpg highway. Roush’s EPA estimates for a Roush supercharged
F150 is 8 mpg city and 11 mpg highway - yeah, its that bad! The Scangauge II
has already proved itself to be useful because I now know for certain that the
custom tuning done to the truck is not only improving power but its also
slightly more efficient than Roush’s standard tune on the highway, and it
indicates I may driving a bit too aggressively during city driving. With a few
changes to driving habits the economy improvements were substantial. Read on….

I selected the gauges display and
selected throttle position sensor, real-time mpg, miles per hour and fuel usage.
Over the course of 2 days, using the Scangauge II as feedback on the same route
I changed my driving habits the following ways:

1. Slightly slower acceleration.

2. Anticipating stops and coasting to a stop from a further distance.

3. Watching my boost gauge (not part of the Scangauge II) and noting how much throttle (via the TPS display on the Scangauge II) resulted in full boost or partial boost. For non-supercharged vehicles watching MAP gauge on the Scangauge II can substitute for a boost gauge. I used this data to get a good idea of exactly how much throttle was required to keep boost slightly lower going up hills at the cost of losing a slight amount of speed going up hills.

4. On the freeway I drove close to the 70 mph speed limit (most of the time) because the feedback from the unit showed an improvement in MPG by doing so.

5. I coasted the last mile to my home when no one was behind me.

6. I still continued to have “fun” by getting into the throttle when a Mustang or other quick car was at a light, but I stopped driving as aggressively overall.

How much did my mileage improve? I
averaged 13 mpg city and 17.4 mpg highway. That’s very good for any 4x4 F150
Supercrew… its excellent for one that is supercharged. The Scangauge II has made
a believer out of me. I’m sure with a little more time I can squeeze even more
economy out of it while still enjoying the extra power the supercharger adds.
Check out ModBargains.com to get one --- they have great prices, know the
product well and I received timely support from their salesman Alon and his
support made the purchase decision easy for me. If your experience with the
Scangauge II and ModBargains is anything like mine you won’t be disappointed.